Myanmar planning to legalize gambling

The country of Myanmar is planning to legalize certain types of gambling, including casinos aimed at foreigners which would be placed in upper-tier hotels only.

"We have finalized the reformed gambling law and are ready to send it to the parliament for suggestion, discussion and then approval." said an official of the Home Affairs Ministry.

It seems that their aim is to regulate all illegal forms of gambling such as casinos and lotteries which are already present in the country.

"It's better to get more revenue for the country by legalizing the illegal lotteries. Also casinos for only foreigners would be allowed at three-stars and above hotels if the parliament agrees to our proposed law" the official had to add.

The idea of legalizing gambling has been around since 2013 when a tourism master plan was devised which aimed to bring in around 7 million tourists per year by 2020. This came after in 2011 the government went through a huge reform process that quickly opened up the former pariah state to the world. Before this visiting the country could prove to be a logistical nightmare due to a lot of poverty and crime that riddled the cities in Myanmar.

Data from the Hotel and Tourism Ministry in the country shows that foreign tourist arrivals have doubled under the new government to almost 2 million tourists per year.